


Tesselate

by akire_yta



Series: prompt ficlets [495]
Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-06
Updated: 2017-10-06
Packaged: 2019-01-09 22:02:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12285255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akire_yta/pseuds/akire_yta
Summary: navigatorsnorth askedTesselate





	1. Chapter 1

The mosaics in the Creighton-Ward manor were 19th century recreations of classical designs.  Each tiny square of stone, brightly coloured and carefully shaped, had been laid with precision to a design first made by some long-forgotten genius, one that first saw life in a Roman town and which had now been bent to serve as architectural segue between Manor and grounds.

As a child, Penny had been fascinated by it, how up close they were just stones, but when taken in as a view from the top of the sweeping staircase, the tiny little parts came together in a glorious whole.  The design was of Thanatos, sweeping through a battlefield. It had been selected by a long-past Lord Creighton-Ward to represent the family’s own tradition of military might and glorious victory.

When they were laid, the colours were vibrant, but time and wear had muted the more brilliant colours, a fitting memorial to faded glory.

The drops of blood stood out, bright red and brilliant, on the pale tiles.

Penny had managed to drag herself to the stairs, but the climb was too much, no matter how hard she willed herself forwards to safety and rescue.

Her comm was by the door, the electronics scattered, another burst of colour out of place on the tessalations.  But the blood, the blood fit the theme, for all that it wasn’t part of the palate.

She let her lolling head drop to  rest of her folded arms.  Up close, the pieces were just that, small, insignificant squares.  She coughed painfully and closed her eyes.

She just had to hope she too was part of a bigger whole.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kylorr81 asked:  
> Gordon finding Pen after the Tesselate.. fic.

Thunderbird Five guided them in to the GPS coordinates of the last received transmission from Penny’s communicator.  But it was Gordon that led them confidently through the house – GPS told them where on the earth, but not how high, and including the basements the Manor was several stories.

The hallway they were charging down led to the sweeping stairs out, the narrower stairs up.  Scott’s hastily barked plans died mid-syllable as they stepped onto the landing and looked down.

She’d put up one hell of a fight - priceless vases were shattered across the mosaic, her comm a splatter of artificial colour in the corner.

But it was the red that dragged itself to the centre of focus.

Gordon doesn’t remember moving; just that he had to kneel carefully, unwilling to even touch the now-tacky pool that surrounded her like a halo, staining her perfect pink outfit a brownish-red, tangling in her usually blonde hair.

The gash was long, deep enough that Gordon was sure he could spot a white flash of bone.

He let his brothers take over first aid, his sister sweeping the perimeter.  All he could do was gently reach out to stroke a porcelain cheek, marked by a single droplet.

“I have a pulse.”

Time sped up like a train wreck.  Gordon the first responder shoved Gordon the boyfriend backwards hard enough that he sprawled onto the stairs.  But he bounded up again, helped by Kayo as Virgil and Scott prepped Penny, Alan running outside to eyeball Thunderbird Two in close enough for a pickup.

He let Kayo shove him forward onto the gantry lift, waiting until she was secure until he scooped up her cold hand.  He bowed his head over her knuckles and prayed to gods he never believed in for her to hold on long enough for rescue. 


End file.
